Grade by Grade
D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing for Every Purpose

Revising and Editing with Feedback

D2.5 D2.6 A1.1About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can revise my writing by replacing words and adding sentences.
  • I can give kind, helpful feedback and use feedback from others.
  • I can edit for capital letters, end marks and spelling.
  • I can use a checklist to check my writing.

Words to know

revise
To make your ideas clearer and better: add, remove, move or replace words and sentences.
edit
To fix capitals, punctuation and spelling so your writing is easy to read.
feedback
Kind, helpful comments about your work from someone else.
punctuation
Marks like . ? ! and commas that help readers know how to read your sentences.
checklist
A list of things to check, one by one.

Remember from Grade 1

You learned that writers revise (make the ideas better) and edit (fix the small things). In Grade 2 you will use two tools: ARMS for revising and CUPS for editing. You will also get better at giving and using feedback.

Revise with ARMS (ideas)Edit with CUPS (fixing)
Add a sentence or detailCapitals: start of sentences, I, names, days, months
Remove what doesn't belongUnderstanding: does every sentence make sense?
Move ideas to a better orderPunctuation: . ? ! at the end, commas in dates and lists
Substitute (replace) a word with a stronger oneSpelling: check words you aren't sure about
Revising makes it better. Editing makes it right.

Giving and using feedback

Feedback helps writers see their work through a reader's eyes. Good feedback is kind, specific and helpful:

  • 🌟 Two stars: two things you liked. "I like the word zoomed. I like your ending."
  • 💡 One wish: one idea to make it better. "I wish you told what the dog looked like."

When you get feedback, listen, say thank you, and decide how to use it. It's your writing!

Feedback for my partnerI like the word "zoomed".I like your ending.I wish you told what the dog looked like.starstarwish
Two stars and a wish: two things you liked and one idea to make it better. Kind, specific and helpful.
Worked example

Let's revise with feedback

Owen's draft: "We went to the farm. We saw a cow. My shoes are new. It was good."

Feedback from his partner: 🌟 "I like that you went to a farm." 🌟 "The cow part is interesting." 💡 "I wish you told more about the cow. And what do your shoes have to do with the farm?"

  1. Remove the sentence that doesn't belong: My shoes are new.
  2. Add a sentence to answer the wish: The cow had black and white spots and licked my hand with her rough tongue!
  3. Substitute a stronger word for good: It was amazing.
  4. Read it again to make sure it makes sense.

Revised: "We went to the farm. We saw a cow. The cow had black and white spots and licked my hand with her rough tongue! It was amazing."

Worked example

Let's edit with CUPS

Edit this: "on saturday my friend jamal and i went to the skating rink do you like skating"

  1. Capitals: On starts the sentence. Saturday is a day. Jamal is a name. I is always a capital. Do starts the second sentence.
  2. Understanding: there are two ideas: a telling sentence and a question.
  3. Punctuation: put a period after rink. Put a question mark after skating, because it asks something.
  4. Spelling: check each word. skating and rink are spelled correctly.

"On Saturday, my friend Jamal and I went to the skating rink. Do you like skating?" (A comma after On Saturday is good too.)

Before:onsaturdaymyfriendjamalandiwenttotheskatingrinkdoyoulikeskatingAfter:OnSaturday,myfriendJamalandIwenttotheskatingrink.Doyoulikeskating?capital letter fixedpunctuation added
Editing with CUPS: capitals for the start, the day, the name and I; a period after the telling sentence and a question mark after the question.

Editing tricks

  • Read your writing out loud, slowly, pointing to each word.
  • Check one thing at a time: first capitals, then punctuation, then spelling.
  • Circle words that don't look right. Check them in a word wall, a dictionary or a book.
  • Use a coloured pencil for edits so you can see your changes.
Just for fun

"Let's eat Grandma!"

"Let's eat, Grandma!"

One little comma, and Grandma is invited to dinner instead of being dinner. Punctuation matters!

Check✔
My writing makes sense and stays on topic.
I replaced at least one plain word with a stronger word.
I added at least one detail or sentence.
Every sentence starts with a capital. I and names have capitals.
Every sentence ends with . ? or !
I checked the spelling of words I wasn't sure about.
A Grade 2 revising and editing checklist
Hands-on activity

Writing partners

You need: a piece of your own writing from this unit, a coloured pencil, and a family member as your partner.

  1. Read your writing out loud to your partner.
  2. Your partner gives you two stars and a wish.
  3. Revise: use ARMS. Add at least one sentence and replace at least one word.
  4. Edit: use CUPS with your coloured pencil.
  5. Switch! Listen to something your partner wrote (a grocery list, an email, a card) and give them two stars and a wish.

Your turn

1

What is the difference between revising and editing?

2

What do the letters in ARMS stand for?

3

What do the letters in CUPS stand for?

4

Edit: "my dog likes to play in the snow"

5

Substitute a stronger word for nice: "We had a nice picnic."

6

What punctuation mark goes at the end of "Where is my mitten"?

7

Your friend says, "I wish you told where you went." What should you do?

More practice: warm-up

1

Which words always need a capital: i, monday, cat?

2

What is feedback?

3

In "two stars and a wish", what are the stars?

4

Is fixing a spelling mistake revising or editing?

5

Is adding a new sentence revising or editing?

More practice: on your own

1

Edit: "in july we visited aunt rosa in winnipeg"

2

Which sentence should be removed from a story about a hike? We walked up the trail. My sister likes pink. We saw a deer.

3

Add a detail sentence after: "We built a snow fort."

4

Give a two-stars-and-a-wish comment for this writing: "My cat is orange. She sleeps all day. She likes fish."

5

Fix the spelling: "We had fun at the beech."

Challenge

1

Revise and edit: "we went to the park it was good we played"

2

Why is it helpful to get feedback from someone else?

3

Find and fix all the errors: "my brother and me saw a moose on friday it was huge"

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Revising is mostly about ...

2.

Which is an editing job?

3.

Which sentence is edited correctly?

4.

Which is kind, helpful feedback?

5.

What does the S in ARMS stand for?

6.

Which end mark goes with "Can I play too"?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (D2.5, D2.6): Grade 2 students make simple revisions (replacing words, adding sentences) using feedback from others, and simple edits for capitalization, punctuation and spelling. Giving and receiving feedback also builds collaboration and communication skills (A1.1).

How to help at home:

  • Keep revising and editing separate. Talk about ideas first; fix spelling last.
  • Use "two stars and a wish" for everything, even drawings and Lego builds. Children get used to kind, specific feedback.
  • Don't fix everything. Choose one or two things (for example, capitals for names and days) per piece.
  • Let your child use a coloured pencil and cross out with one line, rather than erasing.

Common difficulties:

  • Thinking revising means recopying neatly. Revising changes the words and ideas.
  • Feeling upset by feedback. Model receiving feedback on your own writing: "Thanks, that's a good idea!"
  • "My brother and me went..." Try taking out the other person: "me went" sounds wrong, so it's "My brother and I went."